A TwoWay Street
by Gandalf3213
Summary: ROMEO SHOW Louis can't stay with the Millers anymore. Not only that, but the family he gets placed in is abusive. Can Louis regain his old life, or will he die in the process?
1. I Want to Run

**I don't own this, or anything else for that matter.**

Louis woke up from the dream covered in a cold sweat. He looked over at the alarm clock and groaned. It was only three seventeen, and Louis knew that there was no way that he was going back to bad now. Not after that.

Louis picked up his sneakers and slipped quietly out the door, down the hall, out the front door. He sighed as he put on the sneakers and looked down the street, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness that surrounded him. Then he got off the stoop.

And ran.

He wasn't running anyplace in particular. Why would he? All he needed to do was clear his mind. Let the smoothness of his stride take him away. As he ran, he looked around. Now that his eyes had adjusted to the darkness, he could see outlines of shapes, general things. The familiarity of it all calmed him until he let himself sink back and remember his dream.

He'd had this same dream before. Six times before, to be exact. The first one the night before his dad died. The next right before Child Welfare came to get him from his negligent mother. The third the day before he learned his mother had died. Numbers four five and six right before he'd gotten taken out of various foster homes.

So why did the dream come to him now? It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure _that_ one out, but the best guess sent chills running down Louis's spine. They wouldn't the **couldn't** take him away from the Millers. Not after over a year and a half of being with them. Not after everything they'd been through. The thought sent tears streaming down Louis's cheeks, which he brushed away impatiently, even though there was nobody around to see him cry.

_You don't even know if it's going to happen_. A small voice reminded him tentatively. Louis sighed, wishing he could believe the voice, but even though Louis didn't go in for all that Psychic stuff, he knew what this dream meant.

It meant no more friends. No more basketball. No more band. It meant no more Jodi, or Gary, or Mr. or Mrs. Miller. No more Romeo.

_They can't do this to me!_ Louis thought. They meant the court system, the social worker, the everybody. _They can't take me out of the best house I've ever had. The closest thing to "home" I've ever gotten. _And at the same time, Louis knew that he had no say over it. Until he got adopted or turned eighteen, the state had control of him, and nothing anybody did could change that.

Eventually, his running brought him back to the Miller house. He walked up the stairs to his room at the far end of the corridor. He was about to climb into bed when he thought of something.

Louis got down on his knees, like he saw kids doing in movies and started praying. Praying to God, or Christ, or Buddah or whoever was really up there to let him stay with the Millers. He had prayed like this every time he'd had the dream. It had never worked before, but wasn't seven supposed to be a lucky number, or something? He climbed back into bed.

His clock read five forty-eight. He'd have to get up in an hour, but Louis didn't care. Right now, Louis didn't care about anything. He knew that in a couple of hours, he'd have been told that he couldn't live there anymore. He'd have his life turned up-side-down. And not for the first time.

Damn dream.

* * *

I don't know, probably nobody is reading this, but if you are REVIEW! Please and thank you 


	2. And Streach My Legs

**I don't own it, ya hear?**

Louis woke up an hour later to-nothing.

Total, absolute silence.

He sat and listened for a second, puzzled. With five other people in the house, you'll usually hear something-anything. Wait, there was a sound. Sobbing?

Louis threw off his covers and pulled on a shirt. As he went down the stairs, he heard some more sounds. Low, comforting voices. They stopped when he rounded the corner.

"What?" he asked, wondering why they were all staring at him, and why Mrs. Miller and Jodi were crying. And then he spotted the letter in Jodi's hands, and his eyes, like a camera lens, zoomed in on the upper right hand corner.

He broke into a cold sweat and pushed his hair out of his eyes. "I'm not leaving." He stated, trying to sound firm, but his cracked voice gave him away.

Mrs. Miller said nothing, she only looked at him, and for a second, Louis was more worried about her then he was himself. He knew that Mrs. Miller like him. Heck, maybe she even loved him like she loved Romeo and Gary. He looked away from her gaze and instead settled on Romeo.

"You know, you're only moving one town over." Romeo tried to sound optimistic, but his voice gave him away too.

Louis wasn't listening anyway. He didn't want to listen. This couldn't be happening. He's finally thought that maybe here would be his home. That maybe-just maybe-the Millers would adopt him.

_Like that was ever gonna happen. _A nasty voice in the back of Louis's mind whispered. His head was spinning. He needed to sit down. He needed to take this in.

"Louis. Louis! Are you okay man?" Romeo's voice snapped Louis out of his near-collapse.

Louis nodded, trying to focus in on Romeo, but his mind was elsewhere. He thought, for a fraction of a second, about running away. But then he dismissed the notion. Part of running away was running **to** someplace. Louis had nowhere to go.

Romeo saw Louis's conflict and put an arm around his shoulder. "Man, if they want to come get you, they'll have to go through me first. Nobody's going to make you leave, y'hear?"

But Louis did leave. He went to go live with the Vaspolids a week later.

And after that, nothing was the same.

* * *

Short and stuff, I know. Wait like, a week, and it will all make sense. 


	3. Fly Out the Door

**I own nothing, got it?**

Louis flopped down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. This room, this bed, this _house. _He already hated every inch of the property.

But not as much as he hated the people.

Some old philosopher (whose name Louis forgot) once said that first impressions are often entirely wrong. Louis really, **really** hoped this was true, because is first impressions of the Vaspolis were of the not-so-good type.

Mrs. Vaspoli was short and quiet, with short, mousy brown hair and fat fingers. When she looked at somebody, she twitched. Mr. Vaspoli was huge, built like a truck with about as much power as one. He had almost taken Louis's arm off when he shook it.

And their daughter, Brandy? What kind of name was that? Their daughter looked as if she would like nothing better then to spit on him. Or at least curse him out.

Louis sighed and tried to think of something-anything-else. His mind drifted to earlier that day. To saying good-bye to the Millers.

Jodi had cried, squeezing him so hard he thought his head would come off. She'd given him some stationary and stamps, so that he could write to her, even though he had promised to drop by every week for band practice.

Gary had clung to him like a monkey, wailing and refusing to let go until he got pried off by Romeo.

Mr. Miller had wrapped him up in a great bear hug. Mrs. Miller had joined in, and Louis had felt so safe with those two people. Safer then he had felt in a long, long time. They'd given him a box "something to look at at night, when you're feeling kind of down."

Saying good-bye to Romeo had been the worst, though. They'd stood looking at each other; Louis already crying and Romeo trying hard not to start. Then Romeo stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Louis, and he could feel the tears and hear the pain as Romeo said, "You take care man, and run back for band practice." They thumped each other on the back and broke apart. They stared at each other, then Louis said, "You'll always be my brother, Ro, I don't care what anyone says."

And then a car came by, and Louis got in. He looked at the people who had been his family and wanted to bawl like a baby. Instead, he turned around and looked straight ahead, trying to wrap his head around the facts that the Millers would never again be his family.

Louis was snapped out of his reverie by the door opening, he got to his feet. Mrs. Vaspoli came in, carrying a stack of books. She eyed Louis, then said suddenly, "Well?"

Louis was puzzled. "Well what, ma'am?" It was always better to be polite in the beginning, that way they couldn't hate you right off.

"Well are you going to help me or not?"

Louis quickly came over and took the books from her arms. As soon as he had turned around to put the books on the old wooden desk, he felt a hand smack the back of his neck.

It was so sudden that Louis dropped the books, bringing his hands to the back of his neck and biting his tongue fiercely to keep from saying anything. After a moment, he bent down and started gathering up the books, thinking that the best course of action would be to pretend nothing had happened. He turned back warily to face Mrs. Vaspoli.

"That was because you weren't quick enough. I expect any child living under my roof to do things quickly and without question. Be thankful that a slap is all you will get. For now."

Louis watched Mrs. Vaspoli retreat from the room, knowing that she had one that battle, and that the war was far from over.

* * *

You like it? Really? Good, now review.


	4. Down the Street

**I own it not**

Louis watched the classroom clock, willing it to move faster. Four minutes. He still tried to listen to Mr. House's lecture. Two minutes. He gave up ever knowing what a polyfemur was. Ten...four...two...one!

Louis was the first out the door. The first to his locker. The first outside. He tried to remember what street he'd be catching the bus on. Was it tenth or ninth? He went for ninth, praying that he'd be right.

God must have liked Louis, 'cause the bus was just about to pull away from ninth street. Louis, panting, managed to get up the steps and find a seat in the way back. He collapsed, happy to watch the scenery of the town go behind him. He wished it could last.

Louis was keeping his promise. He was going to band practice. He didn't care what the Vaspoli's did to him, he had to see his family. And he had to see his brother.

When Louis walked through the garage door, he felt like he was living there again. He felt like he was home.

Romeo smiled and slapped his hand. Jodi gave him a big hug, and Gary was jumping up and down, saying, "Louis, Louis!"

Louis looked down at Gary, "What?"

"What's the first thing that happens when a hundred English poodles fall into lake Eerie?" he asked, so fast that Louis could barely make out the words. Louis heard Romeo groan, but he didn't care. "What happens?" he asked.

"They get wet!" Gary fell over laughing. Louis was stunned by the answer, but ended up laughing too. Soon, the entire room was shaking.

"Okay, okay!" Romeo said, trying to call his players to order. "We need to practice everyone!"

Louis took his spot behind the keyboard and looked at Romeo expectantly. He loved this. This is where he belonged. This is where he was going to stay.

After four hours of hearing nothing but music, a knock came at the door and Mrs. Miller poked her head inside. "Dinner, kids. Louis, are you staying?"

The simple question was enough to make Louis seriously depressed. A week ago, the question would have been unnecessary. He had been part of the family. One of them. Louis managed to choke out, "Yes please...Mrs. Miller."

Romeo looked over at him, slightly surprised, "You okay?"

Louis nodded an followed Gary into the kitchen.

There are no words that Louis could use to describe that dinner. It felt like...like he had never left. He sat in the same spot, heard all the same things about school, ate some of the same food.

If only he lived in the same house, huh?

After they ate, Jodi offered to drive Louis home. Louis panicked- the Vaspoli's didn't know he was at the house. "No, no, I'll take the bus." He said, moving towards the front door. He was out it before anybody could argue.

He was already on the bus before he realized he'd forgotten his jacket at the Millers.

* * *

Reviews? 


	5. Get Away From Here

**I own nothing**

Mrs. Vaspoli was waiting for him at the front door, her body silhouetted in the light that came pouring out of the house. She didn't look particularly mad, just...disappointed. Maybe Louis would get off easy.

And maybe pigs would sprout wings and fly.

"H-hello, Mrs. V-vaspoli." Louis stammered, trying to sidestep around the woman. She wouldn't budge; instead, she called into the house for her husband and daughter.

"Tom, I think the boy doesn't know his place." Mrs. Vaspoli hissed to her husband. Louis was finally able to edge around her and get inside the house, thinking up a quick lie. He needed a lie, because he couldn't tell the truth. That much made sense to his fear-spiked brain.

"I-I was at a r-road cleanup with the s-student council." He said, before realizing that he wasn't even on the student council.

Mr. Vaspoli held Louis by the front of his shirt, lifting him off the ground. "I don't believe you. I think you were at the Millers, playing in that crack-pot band of yours. You didn't even remember a jacket." Mr. Vaspoli threw him across the room, where he hit the wall.

From that point on, Louis's brain didn't register any of the pain he felt. He put his arm up in front of his face to ward off the blows, but a sharp kick from Brandy made it break cleanly in two.

The barrage a punches and kicks continued for almost ten minutes. Then, as suddenly as it had started, it was over. Louis lay on the ground where he'd been left, to tired to move, not that he thought he'd get far anyway.

It took Louis the better part of three hours to drag himself to the Miller's neighborhood, wincing and groaning the entire way. He hurt in places he didn't even know existed. Another half hour, and he was at their door.

Louis raised his hand and managed to push the doorbell before collapsing, half-unconscious, barely noticing the approaching footsteps.

"Who'd be out at this time of night?" he heard Mrs. Miller's intake of breath and her frantic yells for the rest of the family.

Louis opened one eye in time to see a sleepy Romeo at the top of the stairs, yawning and asking what was going on.

Then Romeo spotted Louis, and his questions stopped.

The last thing Louis remembered (or thought he remembered, anyway) was Romeo sitting next to him, crying. Which was why Louis knew he must have imagined it. Because Romeo never cried, especially not for him.

* * *

A couple more chapters. Maybe two. 


	6. Find a Way

Romeo couldn't believe where he was, he couldn't believe why he was here. He couldn't believe it had come to this.

He was sitting in the waiting room while the doctors talked to his mom and dad. He was waiting there for Louis. He couldn't believe his "brother" had gotten messed up this bad, especially by people who were supposed to be his parents.

Romeo shuddered, thinking about how Louis had looked when he had collapsed on the floor. His back was covered with blood…so much blood…

Gary, who was sitting next to him, was looking at Romeo, confused. He tried to explain the situation.

"See, the people Louis went to go love with weren't good people, and they hurt Louis really bad."

"Why?" Gary looked up at Romeo innocently.

Romeo sighed. "I wish I knew, kid."

Gary thought about this for a second, and then asked, "But Louis is going to be okay, right? And he won't ever get hurt again?"

Romeo wanted to cry. He'd been crying more in this one night then he had since….since he didn't know when. "I wish I knew if he was going to be alright, but I don't. We'll just have to pray, and hope for the best."

Gary nodded and turned away, crying into his hands again. Jodi took Gary into her arms and they both cried. Romeo wished he could say something to make them feel better, but he couldn't. He was as worried about Louis as the rest of them. He just wanted to be sure that he was alright.

They had been in the waiting room for hours, waiting for some knews about Louis. Finally, a nurse came out. She had seen the kids come in and had tried her best to cheer them up. Now she looked around at them all, seeing their desprete attempts to stop crying, and smiled. "He's going to be alright. He's recovering now. You can see him soon."

Romeo started to laugh unccontrolably in the way that only a person who is relieved beyond belief can. Louis was going to be okay. His best friend was going to live.

**A few hours and a couple of crying fits later**

Mrs. Miller sat down heavily on the small couch, looking around at her family. They were all grouped around her in the living room. Except one. She started speaking slowly and quietly.

"What would you all think if we added another person to our family?" Four tired faces stared back at her, waiting for her to elaborate. She choose her words carefuly, not wanting to start an uproar. "I was thinking that maybe we could...adopt Louis?" She ended with a question.

Romeo really smiled for the first time since Louis had left. "Cool. When can we do it? Like, now? Will Louis ever have to go back with the Vaspoli's?"

Gary seemed just as excited, talking at the same time as Romeo. "And Louis won't have to leave again? And he won't die?"

Jodi smiled and nodded. She had been thinking of Louis as her brother for a while anyway. Having it made legal was just...nice.

The adults shook their heads, pleased by the reactions. Not knowing that Louis might not want to go back.

**Yeah, somehow nobody ever asks the kid's opinion. One chapter left. Review.**


	7. To Get a Real Home

**I own nothing.**

Romeo walked in the room and almost walked right back out again. Louis was hooked up to so many machines he looked like a robot. There was that bleeping thing that measured the heart rate that was so damn annoying in those stupid hospital soap-operas.

"Hey Ro."

Romeo seriously would have left. But how could he leave now? Louis had obviously seen him. He couldn't blow him off. So he sat down, trying to ignore the casts that covered Louis's body or the fact that he was sleeping on his stomach because his back was covered in angry red welts. "Hey Louis." His voice came out so squeaky he nearly killed himself.

Louis tried to smile. "Haven't seen you lately."

To true. Romeo had stayed away from the hospital, even through someone from his family was there nearly 24/7. He just couldn't take looking at people hurt, especially if he knew them.

"Yeah, well...you know." Romeo was ashamed that Louis had noticed. Maybe he had wanted to talk to Romeo. They hadn't been close friends ― they never hung out with the same people at school ― but that fact was that Romeo was still Louis's 'brother'.

"Yeah."

They sat in silence for a minute...two minutes...

"Hey Ro?" Louis's voice was tight, like he was trying to get words out that he didn't even want to think. "Ro? Do you think...I mean...do you know if..."

"What?" Romeo's voice was sharper then he had meant, and he was immediately sorry when he saw Louis cringe.

"Do you know if the Vaspoli's are taking me back?" The sentence was said in one breath, like he wanted it out before he could change his mind.

"No Louis." Romeo had never seen Louis so happy. Or maybe it wasn't happiness. Maybe just relief.

"Oh. That's good." More silence.

"No, you aren't going back to the Vaspoli's Louis. You're going to have to learn how to live with us."

That was happiness, right there. Romeo had never thought that anyone could be so happy at the prospect of finding a home. Maybe one day he'd ask Louis about his old home. Maybe one day they'd get to know each other as more then forced brothers. Maybe one day they'd be friends.

One day.

**That's it, everyone. Review?**


End file.
